The Ultimate Fighter: Season 10 – Episode 9: “Rattled”

It totally sucks that I missed last week’s fight, but I was seriously sick and slept right through it. Leave it to me to sleep through one of the best fights.

Previously, Matt Mitrione was rocked hard in his win, and Marcus Jones gave Team Rampage their only victory. Now the quarterfinals begin and Justin Wren takes on Roy Nelson. Can Wren score another big upset??

Tonight, the show just seems tense to start. Team Rashad, with its 7 wins, pulls up to the gym. The problem for Rashad is how do you train 7 teammates to fight each other? This has never happened on the show before. They decide to start some with some individual work with the coaches, and then they’ll do their cardio as a group. Basically, the coaches will be hands off and they’ll just be getting in their workouts. It is a little strange to see opponents training virtually side-by-side, and Justin does admit to peaking in on Roy’s training. Roy equates it to fighting a friend and wanting to get it over with.

Oh boy, Matt. He says that his fight rattled his brain a bit and seems ditzier than ever. Though Justin believes he’s just milking it. Even in the van, Matt looks like he’s “passing out”. When they get home, Matt claims his head got worse and that he was dry-heaving. Dr. Brendan diagnoses it as a concussion. And then the K word gets thrown out there….*sigh* I wish they would just stop playing this “Kimbo might come back” game.

At Team Rampage training, Kimbo is shown while Rampage talks about the hopes of bringing Kimbo back. Kimbo then refers to himself as a “fight contractor.” (wtf?) Claims when he puts his “hatemakers” on you, you’re a “Dundadda.” (I repeat wtf?) Then news comes back that Matt was taken to the hospital and is not back yet. But Rashad is not worried about Kimbo coming back and instead finds the prospect exciting.

Tiki and Rampage then come rolling up in the parking lot looking like they’re up to something. To comment on Rashad’s “cocky attitude” they decide to feed up several chickens and leave them in the other guys’ backseats. Now that’s just wrong.

When the guys come out, they’re scratching their heads at first, but Rashad actually laughs at it (well, at first). However as Rashad puts it, not only are they smelly and nasty, they crapped all over the car! They proceed to open up the doors and let them out, and a chicken-chase ensued with Rashad and Tiki sitting in their truck yukking it up. Bottom-line though, Rampage’s joke backfired! Rashad actually seemed happy AND he got a better rental car! Rampage claims he will not give up on his pranks!

Back at the house, Matt is back, but is tight-lipped about his medical condition. He leaves Team Rampage scratching their heads as he wanders around cluelessly. Later that night, Dana shows up at the house, surprising the guys. When asked about how he’s feeling, Matt says he’s fine and wants to fight. The doctor has cleared him, so he’s good to go (though Scott Junk makes it known that he’s ready and willing to take Matt’s place — did he really need to touch that welt, it was nasty!). But Dana says that they will still have the doctors keep an eye on him just in case. There’s no way they’ll take a chance on a possible head injury.

In weighing on tonight’s fight, James believes that Wren will win, but Kimbo points out that Roy is well-trained and has all the tools needed to win. Justin, on the other hand, he says is the fat guy who gets caught by his mother eating powdered doughnuts and lying about it. Ok, that was wrong. Funny, but wrong!

At the weigh-ins, Dana jokes that Roy loves Roy more than anyone else and he’s waiting to be impressed by him. However, he was impressed with Justin’s first fight. Rashad is expecting the unexpected, because both guys are similar. Marcus doesn’t even wanna call it because Justin is just so likeable.

FIGHT DAY

Both guys are getting ready and talk about their mutual respect. But what it comes down to is youth versus experience.

ROUND 1

Wren strikes first with short jabs. Nelson just feels him out. Wren with a jab combo. Wren then charges at him with a couple strikes, but is blocked. Wren attacks again and has Nelson backing up. They wrestle against the cage, and Nelson is in control in the clinch. Nelson gets in some nasty knees. The ref restarts them. Finally Nelson strikes with some jabs which Wren returns backing Nelson up. Against the cage, Wren gets in a knee. Back in the center, they exchange more short jabs. Wren tries an overhand right but is blocked. Nelson sneaks in some jabs to the face, but Wren gets one in too that slightly rattles Nelson. They have a couple more short exchanges, but continuously circle each other. Nice leg kick from Nelson. Wren aggresses again and lands some nice shots to Nelson’s head. Another exchange with a leg kick from Nelson. Wren goes after Nelson and misses as the round ends.

ROUND 2

Nelson starts the round with a quick jab, but Wren is quick to return it. Wren goes with a combo and finishes with a leg kick. Wren with another set of jabs has Nelson backpedaling. More similar exchanges from the first round. Nice overhand from Wren is countered by Nelson’s left hook. HUGE swing and miss from Wren. Wren seems to be swinging wildly, but not landing much. Wren charges at Nelson and pins him against the cage, but Wren falls back and Nelson lets him back up. A good exchange has them clinching against the cage briefly, but they wind up back in the center. Nelson is now landing more shots, but he seems tired. Wren comes at Nelson with several good shots. Both seem tired. Great leg kick from Nelson leads to more solid exchanges. Powerful shot to Wren’s face. A good shot from Wren has Nelson doubled over into a clinch, but nothing comes of it. They stand back up and dance as the round ends.

Many guys call for a third round, which I would agree with, but I see that it’s only 10:57
And the judges say it’s over — Rashad is shocked, as it should have been a third round fight.

Dana says that Roy was being destroyed by Justin in the first round (destroyed? HARDLY, Dana, seriously). But in the second round, Rashad noticed that Roy really picked it up and dominated Justin.

Winner: Roy Nelson via Majority decision

Before they even made the announcement, I called this one. I don’t know what fight Dana was watching, but I could’ve seen the first round going either way. If I were a judge, I would have given it to Justin, but it was not a dominating round for him. However, Roy completely controlled the second round. He won that round decisively. Without a third round, I could totally see the judges giving the fight to Roy.

A tearful Justin is disappointed in himself and expresses his regret about his choices during the fight. Roy then goes to Dana, asking if he made the fight more exciting. But, of course, Dana is his typical ass-self. Clearly Dana just DOES NOT like Roy. I get it, he’s not really marketable. But to badmouth him all season is just not right.

Next week: Matt’s health is questionable again, so all eyes are on Kimbo. Rampage and Rashad go head to head in the coaches’ challenge (volleyball…nice!). And Brendan Schaub is set to take on Jon Madsen in the next quarterfinal fight.